On Mon, we released a new study on civilian casualties due to U.S. and allied forces’ airstrikes in Afghanistan between 2017 - 2020. Yesterday, the U.S. military questioned our report, stating: 1/

“We disagree with the one-sided analysis... which relies on disputed data and ignores civilian casualties caused by Taliban and ISIS attacks.” Our response: 2/

The author, Dr. Neta Crawford, used data from the United Nations UNAMA estimates of civilian casualties. The DOD explains its disagreement with the UN statistics as 3/

“due to differences in 1) info sources + 2) understanding about who receives protection as civilians under the law of war.” The U.S. military has historically minimized how many of the people killed by U.S. and allied airstrikes are labeled “civilians.” 4/

While U.S. airstrikes have become less frequent since Feb 29, 2020, when the U.S. + Taliban sealed an agreement, airstrikes have not completely stopped. And the US-trained-and-equipped Afghan Air Force have increased strikes, harming more civilians than ever before. 5/

Crawford does state that militants are responsible for a great number of total civilian deaths. The report focuses on airstrikes. There were more weapons dropped from the air in 2018 and 2019 than at the height of U.S. presence in Afghanistan in 2011. 6/

The Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS, etc lack air forces and do not make air strikes. In 2017, then Sec of Defense Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US loosened its rules of engagement for airstrikes, saying, 7/

“restrictions that did not allow us to employ the air power fully have been removed.” In June 2018, Brigadier Gen Bunch said, “The purpose behind our air campaign is to pressure the Taliban into reconciliation and help them realize that peace talks are their best option.” 8/8